This essay has an important observation. Ethics is more than discussing obeying the rules or even the laws. Ethics is a philosophy by which we guide our actions. When we discuss the subject only in terms of rule breaking we bring to mind the picture of the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike. We are only plugging holes and not dealing with the wider issue of the behavior should be.
James Pilant
via Ethics Bob
It has been some years, more than I care to remember, since I went to college. I thought I was in heaven, and I’ve never forgotten how it felt those first few days when I discovered that my professors actually thought I was bright.
Here we have a student embarking on a new career path. One day soon, college may become a simple matter of computer assisted tests and internet presentations with the personal removed, no more lecture, no more exchange of ideas between teacher and student, and no more of the power and enthusiasm of teaching at its best. But we are not there yet and so his experience will be similar to mine, a path of self discovery with the pleasure of being taught.
I wish him well and suggest his essay as an example of a thinking human being, in short, a rare individual.
James Pilant
via becomealiveblog
The debt ceiling agreement clobbers grad students. It makes it harder to get loans for those working toward advanced degrees. We in this country need to encourage education not just at the bachelor level but at all levels. We don’t just live to make money but to extend our civilization. It’s important to continue this process.
Let’s cut grad students a break and maintain their ability to stay in school.
James Pilant
via (B)LogtheLeg
This is a letter from Samuel Adams to Richard Henry Lee. These were two giants of the American Revolution. I am fond of American history and believe that we have much to learn from the ideas and actions of the founders (although I firmly believe it can be overdone).
This is an interesting letter. It has some observations I find compelling. Please have a look.
James Pilant
I think that the No Child Left Behind law had severely damaged character education, critical thinking and issue awareness among the young. An ability to take multiple choice tests, true false, or completion tests is not a useful employment skill. Yet that has become almost our sole measurement of educational achievement.
But the inaction of the middle class, whatever it’s cause, is critical to the success of the rich in shifting the tax burden.
James Pilant
This is a explanation of why the rich are gaining ground and the middle class losing it. It cites statistics on a regular basis. No statistic cited is anything that I have heard contrary data on. So, I think the report was written with considerable research. I would note that there is not just a little passion in the post which is delightful to me but not always to my readers.
This blogger wrote a lengthy, well written and thoughtful article. Please visit the web site and reward those efforts.
James Pilant
via Tucson Blonde
There is a lot of debate on the web about nuclear power. This is a different kind of take on the issue. Our author explains how the emotional aspects of the danger of nuclear power has to be taken into consideration. I’m sure there are many who would argue that only the rational arguments should be taken into consideration.
However, the advocates of nuclear power have cast every kind of insult at their opponents ranging from tree hugger to murderer (that’s right, since using coal power can increase death from particulate matter, opposing nuclear power is murder), I think the use of the irrational on that side is already well established.
James Pilant
This is a really interesting take on history comparing Shay’s rebellion with current unrest. It is an intellectually stimulating argument. I rarely see historical arguments on the web. In my field you mainly get economic, philosophical or political arguments. This is refreshing change.
I don’t agree with everything here. But full agreement is never necessary to enjoy a good post. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
James Pilant
via Job Voucher Plan
Just when you think the Fukushima crisis had finally been scrubbed from the news by various interest groups and the Japanese government, it comes roaring right back at you.
James Pilant
Jayaraman Rajah Iyer is a buddy of mine. He comments on economic issues and always has something interesting to say and often controversial as well.
Here are his comments in full.
James Pilant
I quote from my bookmark of Washington Post by Jim DeMint “On Sept. 12, 2009, millions of citizens rallied across the country. They gathered in the nation’s capital and other cities to convey a clear message: You work for us; we don’t work for you. Stop the bailouts, the takeovers, the debt and dependence”
In response to the first amendment Freedom of Speech, ‘Government for the People’ maintains stoic silence and conveys ‘yell as you like. Always, it is Government for a few people’.
In India we do have to go a long way in bringing the Government tuned to the people. Those who are trying, struggle but no comparison to the struggle of the masses who exist below poverty line, a 550 million of them. However, there are some initiatives from the government that were put through some years back, would be of considerable interest to the people of United States. It was in 1965 that the government of India brought out a compulsory Cost Audit for manufacturers of vegetable oils as an essential commodity for the masses. Every fortnight companies like Unilever had to go to the government for permission to increase the price of a tin of vegetable oil justifying in detail the cost escalation the company in question had gone through the period of 15 days. [Dr. Kaplan’s ABC that came in 1983, was in full use in 1966 by every such company providing the government with cost data analysis.] The cost audit system was successful and subsequently it was extended to very many commodities including medicine and petroleum that are in vogue even today.
Had not the Indian government introduced the cost audit we would have rich companies, poorer government and higher inflation. In US it is unthinkable that the government would intervene in the running of the companies. Today US is full of companies that are very rich, like Apple is said to have more money than the government, but government is running at loss. The US Senators and Congressmen do not realize that ‘Government for the people’ is no longer with them, it is with a few with ‘massive private gains at public loss’. Corporate Social Responsibility in US is an illusion.
Pilant's Business Ethics Blog 
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